Next Time
by Sarah the mutant farm girl
Summary: Sequel to The Boogeyman, Race to Kill, The Burning Family, From the Ashes, and Werewolf TerritoryYou don’t always get your second chance at things. You have to do it right the first time around. Will, is looking down the barrel of a gun and finally decide
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Supernatural and all related materials do not belong to me. I'm only borrowing them, without asking: ) to write this story. **

**A/N: If you haven't read The Boogeyman, Race to Kill, The Burning Family, From the Ashes, or Werewolf Territory you should read them before reading this fic. They all are part of the series my sister Katie and I are writing. If you go to my profile now, you'll find them. But if you have read those read on then review. Afterwards I strongly suggest reading Posinchik88's fics. **

**Next Time**

**Chapter One**

_One year and seven months ago, Brookeville, Iowa_

"Shoot." Will gasped. Athena's hands shook and her sister wrapped her arms around her.

"We've got to shoot the damn thing." Autumn shouted in Athena's ear. Autumn steadied her sister's grip on the gun aimed it for her. "Just pull the trigger."

_It's impossible, to most people, for a cloak to strangle then devour it's owner. But those people don't do what we do. The people who doubt that, that day I was nearly strangled by a living cloak, then shot through the heart by my girlfriend and still lived to tell the tale don't pop ghosts for a living. They've never stared down the throat of a werewolf, or been suspended in air over a flight of stairs by an angry spirit. They've never slept six inches from their girlfriend's armed overprotective sister, on the floor of a haunted Victorian manor in the country of Maine. But that's for the best, if everyone believed in this stuff, I'd be out a job, I never would have met Athena Daemon, and I sure as hell never would have left her behind to lead a demented cloak away from her and her sister, Autumn._

"Shoot." Will ordered, he was turning blue and his fingers were ripping at the black material of his captor. Athena put pressure on the trigger. She felt the release of the bullet and dropped to the ground when the cloak flew off and blood blossomed over Will's left breast.

"Oh God." she sobbed into her hands.

_Autumn Daemon loses her cool over the dumbest things. I once saw her break down in tears for walking into a pillar on a college campus. But when it counts she is almost always calm, cool, and collected. I thank my stars everyday that as I soaked my clothes with my own life force she could keep her cool in the face of death. Autumn had been hurt by a man before and because of that she'll never fully trust any man. There will always be a dark cloud in the back of her mind that says he's just buying his time and looking for an opening to hurt her. Autumn was like an old saddle when I found her. She was already broken in, she'd rode the rough road and survived. She was beaten, scarred, and wore. Nothing like Athena. Athena Rhea Daemon, Autumn's kid sister by four years, was fresh and new. She was so young and naive. I relished the chance to get to break her in, to show her the world. But I messed that all up._

"In the car. Now!" Autumn ordered Athena after hauling Will's limp body in the backseat of her mustang. For the first time ever she didn't complain about the white leather seats she put his bleeding body right on them. Athena scrambled in shaking and crying. "Put pressure over the wound. Watch his heart beat and breathing. If anything stops or gets really slow tell me." Autumn slammed the door and climbed in the front seat.

"Where are we going?" Athena questioned. Autumn didn't look back as she burned rubber leaving her dog in the motel room. There wasn't room, and he'd be in the way. She had to save Will now.

"John told me about a woman. She'll be able to help. Try and stop the bleeding." Autumn wrestled off her t-shirt and tossed it to her sister. "Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of everything."

_That was my girls. I loved them both. Athena was my best girl, she was the love of my life. She was the only girl I ever imagined spending the rest of my life with. Autumn, was so much older than both of us. In her eyes burned a fire no one could ever touch. She was ready for everything, she could fix anything. As long as Athena and I were with her we were in the best of hands. She respected me and trusted me with her sister's heart. I left them to protect them. I have to believe that._

_January 4th 2007, on the road somewhere between Washingtown, Idaho, and Raining Cloud's Hunter's Resort in Montana_

"Here, lunch." Dean handed her a Mt. Dew and over cooked rubber hot dog.

"Oh, convenient store food how I missed you." she cooed at the meal.

"You're a little twisted aren't you?"

"I'd like to think there's a little something wrong with all of us." she agreed. Dean didn't want to push the conversation but this was the most she'd spoken since she swore she'd kill her sister.

"You know they're going to expect us to have things worked out." he flicked the car in reverse and left his parking place.

"Yea, and Athena expected Peter Pan to take her to Never Land until she was fifteen." she dismissed, though he had no idea what her point was.

"You should burn that thing." he indicated to her necklace, made from the hair of a fallen werewolf.

"If Rafael comes back and starts wrecking havoc on innocent people I'll burn it, until then it will stay where it is." Autumn's fingers curled around the silver bullet at her throat and she stuffed the hotdog in her mouth.

"Whatever." he gave up talking with her for a few miles. Silence settled thickly in the car and slowly he saw Autumn's barriers dissolve.

"After the Demon, I'm going to get the girls. I don't want to ruin what time I have left hunting, by starting something with you and have it blow up in my face. I enjoy our hunts too much to split because we got awkward." she explained. Dean turned down the radio, to show he was listening but didn't talk. Talking was bad, every time he spoke she shut down. "If it didn't blow up, you would stick around to help with the girls. You're not that guy. Hell, if it didn't blow up that would go against everything I know about you. Dean, you're a one night guy and I don't do that."

"So you've only ever been with guys who stuck around?" he asked a little disbelieving, and way off her point.

"No, I've only ever been with Billy-Jack." she corrected.

"You have very bad tastes, you know that?" he shook his head. "An abusive alcoholic, and a dead werewolf."

"And a guy who sleeps with everything that moves, and a few things that don't?" she muttered under her breath and Dean let it slide.

"You tell Athena you want to get the girls?"

"No, I'm not telling her until I get all the details worked out. I know I'm going to get them, but where I'll be living and that stuff, I don't know about."

"What about Billy-Jack, you going back to him?"

"Trap me in an abusive relationship once shame on you, trap me twice I'll kill myself." she took a swig of her pop and twisted the lid back on.

"That's exactly the parenting those girls need." he teased but she glared at him.

"They need parents that are going to stick around, and not beat the hell out of them. That's why I'd have to cut you out if we made it that far."

"What?"

"Dean, you're not the kind of guy whose going to want to be tied down by three little girls, who will more likely than not need serious counseling." she pointed out.

"That would depend on their mother." he tried a little of the Winchester charm.

"Right," Autumn rolled her eyes and looked out the window. There hadn't been notable scenery since a car load of high school kids and mooned them that morning.

"Autumn, if we try 'us' and we make it to that bridge I wouldn't mind playing Uncle Dean full time. Those girls need a man in their life that isn't a total whack job."

"Father daughter dances, and show'n'tells and endless hours of just one more story you would do that? You would get up in the middle of the night when they had nightmares and wanted you to just stay with them until they fell asleep? When the kid on the bus stole their book bag you'd take them to the kid's house and talk to his dad?" Dean shrugged.

"Our girls wouldn't need me to get their backpack back. They'd know to hit the kid."

"Oh, so you would take the day off work to go in and explain to the principle why Kendra decked little Timmy?" Autumn asked sarcastically.

"Sure, they're not going to be little wussy girls." he grinned. "We'll teach them to stick up for themselves. Little Timmy wants to play doctor, he'll be looking for his balls in Kelly's jar of marbles." Autumn laughed.

"You'd be a great dad." she shook her head.

"I would be. I raised Sammy, he turned out alright. Heck, he's even smart. Dad never cared much about grades, as long as we were getting by." Autumn had to give him that.

"Would you quit hunting?" she asked. He was quiet for a long time. "You wouldn't have to quit just as long as you'd be home when I needed you. When they all get the flu, or for their birthdays and Christmas."

"Autumn, we've not crossed the first bridge and you're miles ahead of us." he looked away from the road to see her. Her hair was cropped close to her face, almost able to reach her shoulders at its longer parts, her eyes were constantly soaking everything in holding life captive in their sparkling color. Dean's eyes trailed down her neck and took in her form, she had an hourglass figure though, you couldn't tell it the way she had herself layered right now.

"Okay, what's bridge number one?" she took a deep breath and released it slowly. Was bridge number one the fact that she didn't trust him to stick around or that neither of them wanted to risk their friendship if they were going to lose each other in the end?

"Is it worth it?" he asked. Trust he could build, faith he didn't know about.

"In my head, I've risked everything a thousand times for it. But, I don't know Dean, this isn't prom. We aren't like the rest of the world. We let emotions get in the way on a hunt someone can get killed. So even if we don't blow it…" she trailed off.

"Even if we don't blow it, we won't let the other risk it." Dean filled in.

"Yea, so what do you think?"

"I think, after the other night, things have already started with or without us, so we might as well give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen?" Dean reached for her hand and Autumn flinched. "I'm not going to hurt you, ding-dong."

"Yea, I know." _That's what Billy-Jack said though_, she thought.

_In the mustang several miles ahead of their older siblings_

"No, Marc's mom was killed by vampires on the hood of her car while he slept in the passenger's seat. It really messed him up. Red took him in and he and Will were best friends." Athena said braiding a strand of hair the kept falling in her eyes.

"So he's a hunter?" Sam asked.

"Nope, he's a tracker. He can find anyone, anywhere, even aliens in other galaxies."

"Could he find the Demon?"

"Maybe, but he won't. Not unless Autumn asks him. He'll do anything for her, I swear she's a freak magnet. Your brother included." she shrugged off her coat and adjusted the heating vent.

"You aren't a very nice girl." Sam teased.

"Well, nice girls finish last, and I plan to finish first." she unbraided the strand and started twisting it back into a braid.

"Think they're killing each other yet?" he glanced at the rearview mirror as if he could really see them.

"Nope, right about now Autumn is trying to rationalize everything and Dean is treating it like a big joke."

"Are we going to make it there today?" Athena checked the time.

"Yea, in about a hour we'll turn off on the exit. We'll twist and turn until our ass is up our nose then pass the red barn, two wooden fences, and a pig farm," she bobbed her head and watch the braid dance. "About that time we'll start seeing signs telling us to turn back. We ignore them and four miles in we reach a big sign that says Welcome to Raining Cloud's Hunters Resort."

"How did my dad ever find this place?" Sam laughed.

"He sniffed it out. Warm bed and cold beer, any hunter can find that. It's part of the job description."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:Okay, I admit Dean kind of got screwed in the last chapter but I had to show that Autumn and him were... whatever they are. It will prove important before I'm done. We'll finally get to focus more on Sam-man and Athena in this fic though YAY! Soooooo Yea. R&R guys, I love the response. Sarah**

**Chapter Two**

Even though night had fallen hours ago the Resort was illuminated like the middle of the afternoon. Thirty-six rentable cabins stood in rows behind the main building, which housed a bar, the Raining family, the largest library of the Supernatural open 24/7 to the hunting community, and a constant stock of any weapon any hunter could ever need. There was a garage on the premise where at all hours you could find a man tucked under the hood of a car. Jen Raining could be found on the ranges after breakfast until time for dinner. Raining Cloud's Hunter's Resort was summer camp for hunters, many of which called it home.

Sam and Dean Winchester pulled their respective cars to a stop in front of the Daemons' cabin. The girls had offered repeatedly to pay for the house but Jen had refused them and finally signed the building over to the girls just for spite. The dwelling was a one story, two bedroom, one and half bath, with a small island kitchen and large sitting room plushly furnished, but it's most prized feature was the large fire place. On the front door a note had been taped up, Autumn tugged it down and kicked open the door. Someone had already been here, a fire was dying out. They dropped their bags on the floor right inside the door, John, the girls' rottweiler ran straight for the kitchen closet where his chow was stored.

"Sis?" Autumn looked from her beloved pooch to her sister.

"Yea, I'll feed him." Athena was too tired to argue. All day in a car wore you out more than it should be able to. There was something about sitting still doing nothing that just killed a person.

"Who's that from, Autty?" Sam asked stretching. Autumn opened the letter and grinned.

"Girls, and your not so secret travel buddies, I was here for a little while, started you a fire to warm the house up, could see my breath it was so cold when I got here. I'll put the keys back in Jen's desk and crash. You know where to find me. Your Crazy, Marc Lyming." she read.

"He calls himself your crazy?" Dean tossed another log on the fire and it jumped hungrily to life.

"Technically he is." Athena sat John's bowl down and came back into the living room.

"Okay, I'm gonna go shower and hit the sack. I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Autumn yawned and swung her bag to her shoulder.

"Night." the remaining three chimed. Autumn let her eyes linger on Dean a moment longer than the other's before heading into her and her sister's bedroom. The beds were the same standard beds of the resort, twin bunk beds.

"You guys okay?" Sam asked climbing into the top bunk, a while later.

"Dude! Watch the fly!" Dean covered his eyes exaggerating his pain. Sam blushed and quickly covered up. "Please, don't leave me alone with her again."

"Why?" Sam couldn't understand the sudden change, normally his brother couldn't wait to be left alone with a girl.

"I think I agreed to raise Kendra, Kelly, and Kayla." Sam chuckled listening to his brother shift uncomfortably in the bed below him.

"Seriously?" when Dean didn't answer Sam knew he was serious. "I thought we'd covered this, you and kids don't mix."

"I know, but she wants to get custody of the girls, and Billy-Jack can't raise them and his folks… they drove Autumn and Athena into hunting."

"So you agreed to raise them, with Autumn?" Sam asked wondering what else his brother had promised the girl.

"I think so. Not that that would be so bad, would it?" the hesitation in his brother's voice was unnerving. Nothing scared Dean Winchester. In the face of all danger he stood tall and laughed. He could and would do anything, except maybe fly.

"No, the girls liked you." Sam assured him. "Autumn, on the other hand…" he teased.

"Shut up." Dean's pillow smacked the ceiling just by his little brother's head.

"Hey!" the younger Winchester caught the pillow and decided to hold it hostage. "She tell you about the licking?"

"What?"

"Marc, they're tracker or whatever, he licks people. Instead of shaking your hand he'll lick you."

"I'll break his neck." Dean screwed his face up in the dark. "How do they get mixed up with these people?"

"The Rainings." Sam had managed to narrow down all of the Daemon's strange friends down to one common source, the Rainings. Who they'd met through his father, but that was a detail he was willing to over look.

"I don't like them." Dean reasoned.

"If they know a way to kill this demon I love them." Sam replied. The springs of the lower bunk squeaked in protest to Dean's readjusting.

"Don't you think Dad would have found a way if there was one?"

"Athena says Dad and Marc don't get along, probably the licking, and he's the only person who knows where Will is. Will has the books."

"Dad don't get along with a lot of people." Dean reminded his little brother punctuating with a yawn..

"A lot of people aren't Marc." Sam said adding his own yawn. It was just after midnight now, long past time for a little R'n'R.

It didn't take long before Dean's snore filled the room and Sam was tossing and turning in his bed. The bed wasn't uncomfortable, he'd slept in it several nights before as they'd stayed there a month before going after the werewolves. This had been the prime place for Autumn to settle back into the swing of things after being cooked alive trying to save her best friend from the fires of the Demon. Athena and Autumn had suggested coming back here when possible, it was a decent place to call home base. Sam couldn't deny it was nice to know that he had a guaranteed bed, the girls had gone into town their second day here and made copies of the cabin keys and presented them to each Dean and Sam, promising they'd always have a place to stay.

Time ticked on and Sam's mind refused to let him sleep. The minutes built into long drawn out hours which seemed to never end. Finally when he heard someone up adding wood to the fire he rolled off the bunk and tugged on a pair of jeans before going out to see who was up. Autumn sat on the couch the mini TV that sat of the coffee table was on but she was staring into the fire feet tucked under her and a teddy bear wrapped up in her arms. She looked so small and lost he had to wonder, again, what his brother had promised her.

"Hey." he said softly rounding the couch and sitting next to her. She looked up and nodded. "Can't sleep?"

"Yea, I'd just rather be up." she whispered with a touch of sarcasm. "Every time I close my eyes I'm either watching Rafael die, or I'm back in the fire. So I thought I'd come out here so I wouldn't keep Athena up."

"Want to talk about it?" he offered. Autumn repositioned herself to look at him. She stared at him until he wanted to hide.

"I'm not supposed to let this stuff get to me." she finally said. "I've been doing this for six, seven, years. I should bring it home anymore."

"Martha was your friend, that fire was home." he reminded her gently. The house that had burned to the ground had been her parents home, one of the few things they'd left her. "Rafael was a friend too. They're going to stick around a while."

"Did Jess? I mean did you keep reliving it in your dreams?" she was careful not to sound to eager to know. The fact that she didn't know meant Athena didn't tell her sister everything.

"Yea, but I lived it in my dreams before it happened too." she offered a weak smile.

"Your freaky mind thing."

"You know for a writer you're not very good with words." he teased.

"I write children's books, 'freaky mind thing' is cool to them. It allows a lot of room for what your mind powers are. You could be like Xavier and read minds and move stuff around, or you could be a future seer." she shrugged as if this were a matter that didn't deserve much thought. "It could be anything."

"What's that like?" he asked.

"What's what like?"

"Having a normal life right beside our freakdom?" she laughed.

"I used to do book tours. I quit though when I'd been out all night hunting a spirit then showed up at a book signing and kids were asking me about the books. It's so strange, you lead this one life that's a total secret, you get to be like a super hero. Then after your done saving the world you go back home and have to act like nothing happened, you have to create some lie to explain how you broke your arm without saying you were hit by your own car being driven by a ghost. It's a wonder more superheroes didn't unmask themselves." she explained.

"I tried the normal thing, doesn't work." Sam said. She shook her head.

"We aren't normal. Anyone who can hunt isn't normal, they've suffered something in their life that makes them freaks and outcasts. Now they're all destine to live on the outskirts of society killing things that should exist and protecting the very people who shun them." Autumn released her grip on the bear. "Don't try and be something your not." she said with finality sound very much like one of those sitcom mothers.

"Right. What's up with the bear?"

"Oh." she blushed and handed the teddy bear to Sam. "The first Christmas after they got married Dad bought him for Mom. She would put his cologne on the bear, when he'd go on hunting trips. That way it was like he was with her. Then after Athena was born I had to be a big girl. But I hated not having the option of crawling in bed with Mommy and Daddy any more, so they could protect me from the monsters. One night Athena was really fussy and I was terrified so Mom pulled the bear out and gave him to me. Said he'd protect me from everything. Thus we dubbed him Scare Bear. Because he could scare away all the monsters." Sam looked the bear over. He was brown, and large for a stuffed animal, though he'd been loved flat. His eyes had probably once been clear and smooth but now they were scratched and fogged over. You could easily tell his left arm had been sewn back on and he had several series of stitches up his back where someone had made the attempt to re-stuff him.

"Cute." he settled on the only word that could possibly sum up the story and the bear.

"Stupid, but he's home, and when I can't sleep it can be nice to have home with you." that was something he understood and suddenly found himself wishing he'd had a teddy bear or blanket or some memorable childhood safety toy. "So what'd you and Teenie do all day?"  
"She told me about Marc." Autumn grinned.

"He's a strange little fellow isn't he?"

"Strange comes with the territory." Sam shrugged before twisting the TV around so he, too, could see it.

"They're on the couch." Athena said tugging on boots and coat. Dean wandered out of his and Sam's room rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Where you headed?" he asked. Athena pushed back a mess of blonde hair and grinned.

"That's for me to know and you to stay here and not find out." she patted her thigh and instantly John was at her side tail wagging and anxious to get outdoors.

"You're in Garfield pajama's, snow boots, Sam's coat, you can't be going far." Athena stuck her tongue out before skipping out the door.

"You'll never know will you?" she teased.

Dean scurried to close the door behind the peppy blonde, she was letting the cold in. He smiled to himself remembering being scolded by his father to close motel doors, that he wasn't heating the outside. Sure enough on the couch curled under a single blanket and propped against each other were Sam and Autumn. He'd heard Sam leave early that morning but hadn't stayed awake for his brother's return. Figuring Sam was only answering the call of nature. Dean stoked the red coals before adding wood to fireplace.

In the kitchen the coffee maker was finishing it's work and the smell was enough to make him weak at the knees. The warm, delicious, brown liquid would make seven o'clock in the morning in the dead of winter seem a little less dreary. With the fire working its way back to life, he went to pour a cup of the precious elixir of life. Roused by the smell Sam and Autumn soon joined him in the kitchen, Autumn dragging along a ridiculous teddy bear, and Sam wrapped up in the blanket.

"Morning." he greeted them bother cheerily.

"If you say so." Autumn groaned searching for a clock.

"Didn't sleep well?" he asked.

"When I slept I slept fine, it was just getting there and staying there." Sam answered his brother. Autumn glared at the clock on the microwave as if it had declared seven should be so cold and early.

"How 'bout you Aut?" she turned her glare to him but it softened considerably.

"I drifted in and out." she yawned. "But, Marc and I will end up going for a long hike before the end of the day. I'll wear out and drop dead in bed tonight."

"It's ten below and you want to go hiking?" Sam was astonished by the very thought.

"A: It's not ten below its twenty-five degrees," Autumn said pointing to thermometer. "B: I spent all of yesterday in a car, and finally C: it's a tradition. We always go for a hike. Rain or shine." Sam shook his head.

"It's your death." he poured himself a cup of Joe before heading back to the living room and balling up on the floor in front of the fire like a dog.

"So, when are you planning on seeking Mr. Marc out?" Dean asked. Autumn got herself a mug of coffee and drowned in in milk.

"After I get dressed, and get a mandatory cup of coffee in me." she took a long drag from her mug and made a face. "Athena did it didn't she?" Dean too took a sip of the liquid and spit it into the sink immediately after.

"What did she do to it?" he asked dumping his cup down the drain.

"I don't know. She can't make coffee or pancakes." Autumn disposed of the offending brew and restarted the coffee maker. "Simple directions stump her. Even in school, cut and paste were worse than Algebra."

"You're joking." he watched her stretch arching her back and reaching for the sky. She smiled when she caught him and he looked away, eyes landing on the discarded teddy. "What's that?"

"A long boring story that usually helps me sleep." she regarded the bear for a moment. "You coming with me to meet Marc?"

"If you want." he snaked an arm around her waist pulling her closer. "I thought about you last night."

"Good thoughts, I hope." she looked up and their eyes lock.

"No, very bad thoughts. You were bad."

"Oh, I see." Autumn moaned. With another look in at his brother to make sure he wasn't watching, suddenly shy, he kissed her. She melted in to him almost instantly. They pulled apart only when the front door opened. "I'm going to go get dressed." she kissed him again, grabbed the bear and headed to her room. "Morning, Sis." she almost giggled passing by.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Sam and Athena had gone out to the shooting range leaving Autumn to go meet up with Marc, and Dean to fiddle with his car. Though, as soon as they were gone he followed Autumn. The pair made their way around to the back of the main cabin, to the bar entrance. Dean felt a sudden rush of pride, that Autumn was on his arm, when the several of the hunters within turned to watch her move through. She stopped and flirted with Andy, the bartender, for a moment until he gave up the location of Marc Lyming. She thanked him and gave him a wink.

"Come on Dork." she grabbed hold of his shirt sleeve and tugged him out the door that led deeper into the cabin toward the family quarters.

"You know this place pretty well." he teased.

"I get around." she grinned releasing him and jumping over the rail of a set of stairs.

"I thought you said"

"I didn't lie, he was my only. But sometimes you gotta play into their fantasy." she cut him off.He mimicked her move jumping the flight of stairs when he caught up with her, Autumn grinned and took off. "Nana nana boo boo, you can't catch me." she laughed running down the call and smashing through a door.

He heard her scream followed by a male laugh. Dean spend up and screeched to a halt just within the door. Autumn lay on top of a mousey haired man, a little younger than Sam, propped up on her arms she stared down at him and both were laughing. The young man had apparently been standing near his bed when Autumn had burst into the room and tackled him.

"Autty, I thought we were just friends." he joked rolling her off him and sat up. "He with you?" the man nodded toward Dean.

"Yea, Marc, this is John's oldest." Autumn forced herself into a sitting position on the bed and held out a hand toward Dean.

"This is the Dean Winchester?" Marc jumped to his feet and Dean suddenly found himself trapped in the young man's grip. Marc ran his tongue up Dean's neck, leaving Dean so stunned by the sudden affection he couldn't even think about moving.

"Marc!" Autumn chided as if talking to a small child. Marc released Dean and came to sit on his bed with Autumn.

"I got you something!" he grinned and bounced.

"I'd like the past thirty seconds back." Dean remarked moving into the room.

"Can't do that. Believe me, dude, I've worked on it. Time travel just isn't an option right now. At least not to civilians. The government knows how though."

"What'd you get me?" Autumn reminded him of his previous topic. Marc's grin widened, making it look like his face would split in half.

"Just a sec." he dove under his bed and emerged with a festively wrapped box. "I saw this and thought of you. I tried to not get it but," he handed it over and shrugged. "I don't get to see you much and when I do I shouldn't come empty handed. So what'd you want?" Autumn shook the box, though no rattle met her ear.

"I need to know where Will is." she said dropping the box into her lap.

"Autumn," both hunters could hear the resistance in Marc's voice.

"I know. I know." Autumn bowed her head and looked up through lashes, giving Marc a heart breaking look. Dean smirked knowing full well the very same look would break him in a heart beat.

"I can't tell you where he is, last time you mentioned him you swore to kill him." Marc watched a spot on the wall just above Autumn's head.

"I was angry. Now, I need him." Autumn crawled closer to Marc.

"I'm sorry, I can't do it. Now, open your present." he redirected her attention and Autumn savagely ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a tin box with the picture of a young girl, arms wrapped tightly around a large rottweiler. She looked up at Marc, her oh-woe-as-me look gone, laughter in her eyes.

"It's adorable." she exclaimed.

"That's just what you store it in. Open the box." Marc prompted. Dean stood awkwardly in the center of the room watching the old friends. Autumn carefully removed the lid and gasped. She gently excavated a large pocket knife. "Pure iron." Marc said proudly as Autumn exposed the blade. "I won it off that guy that was causing you problems a couple years back when you were out here. You know right after Red died. Well, the blade I won, I was gonna just clean it up switch the handle for this nice oak handle I had but when I got the blade off I had to find a handle just for you!" he reached for the blade and Autumn handed it over without hesitation. "See, the handle that came with the blade was all rotten. But, it wasn't the first handle this baby had." he turned the knife over in his hand and pointed to a small engraving near the handle. "AAD," he read.

"That was already on there?" Autumn asked in disbelief.

"Yea." he handed back the gun and looked toward Dean. "So, what is John Winchester's pride and joy doing with a couple of snot nosed bar maids, like Autumn and Athena?"

"Hunting." Dean answered in one word.

"What you hunting?"

"Family business." Dean tried to cut the conversation off but Marc wouldn't have it.

"Daemon's aren't your family."

"No." Dean agreed.

"Boys, do we have to talk shop?" Autumn asked tucking the knife back in its box. "Marc, you been working on your aim?"

"Yes," he nodded slowly.

"Then why don't you show me?" she bounced out of his bed and started for the door. "Unless, of course, you'd rather sit here forever."

Sam squared Athena's hips and gave her better instruction on how to hold the gun. He was seriously starting to think she was screwing it all up on purpose. Jen sat not far off with a blanket over her legs and a coat wrapped tightly around her torso. She was intently watching one of the young hunters a few booths down, and had spent most of the last ten minutes running her ungloved fingers through her long black hair. Athena cleared her throat bringing him back to reality, where his hands were still firmly planted on her hips.

"Right, now, uh, match your shoulders to your hips," he exchanged hips for shoulders and proceeded. "Then when your ready aim and shoot." Athena let go a round almost immediately and smacked the button retrieving her target. "Wasn't that easier?" he asked.

"I've been shooting as long as I've been walking, and I've never tried to change my stance. So, Sammy, it was completely foreign." she tugged off her target and held it up so they could both examine it. The holes were well grouped, not that he'd expect otherwise from her, and close to the center, off by fractions of an inch.

"See? Set yourself up again and keep going at it like that. It'll be natural in no time." Athena rolled her eyes but obeyed. "Who taught you to shoot anyway?"

"Autumn." she answered without looking away from her task of pinning up a new target sheet.

"I wonder what sort of catastrophe her stance is." Athena plucked up her gun and squared her hips, but turned at the waist to look at him.

"I wouldn't try and correct her if I were you. Autumn armed and offended is not good." she teased aiming and firing still watching him. Again she had her target come in. A dozen shots dead center, she handed him the sheet. "And don't try and correct me either. I hit my mark blindfolded." she stepped out of the booth and handed over possession of the gun to let him shoot a while.

Sam lost himself in the steady, smooth pace of loading, aiming, firing, retrieving, and repeat. He went through the motions three or four times when Athena's squeal of protest made him turn around. Autumn stood practically against Dean, both watching a guy with his arms wrapped around Athena lick the back of the blonde's neck. She managed to wiggle free and though her face was contorted in disgusted she still looked glad to see the man.

"Marc, I swear." she ran a hand over the back of her neck.

"I know." he grinned. Athena rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her hip cocking it to the side, the sass stance, Sam was so used to. "So, why aren't you shooting Blondie?"

"Taking turns. Elmo always said it was the right thing to do." Marc nodded.

"I see. That'd be Sam, then?" he asked looking in his direction. Sam returned to his shooting, surely the guy wouldn't approach him while he was shooting. When Sam finally emerged from his sport Autumn was holding a shut gun and grinning.

"I bet she has a good kick. Best guns usually do." she said before thrusting it in Marc's hands. "Now, show me whatcha got, 'migo." Marc stood just under six foot, and was a scrawny looking guy. He had mousy brown hair, and eyes too blue to be his real color. The man just looked like he'd been put together a little wrong, there was something off about him, making it unnerving to watch him holding a loaded weapon. It really didn't help the was wearing a tinfoil dunce hat.

"Fine, you done their buddy?" he asked turning is gaze on Sam. Sam obliged moving out of the booth. "Please and thank you."

Marc fired a shot, it threw his arm back and he repositioned himself to better hold the gun. He finished up a dozen shots then pulled in his target and handed it to Autumn. She stepped away from Dean to inspect it then took the gun for herself. Something was going down. She too shot off a dozen bullets and called in her target then handed both hers and his to Marc to examine. He smiled proudly, he'd grouped better, and even been closer to the bull's-eye The pair continued on like this, occasionally sharing advice or taunting the other, for a half hour. Neither seemed to care that a small crowd was gathering around them.

"She's throwing this, why?" Athena leaned over and whispered to Dean.

"Don't know." his brother answered her. Athena crossed her arms over her chest and watched her sister blow another round. Again, Marc beat her and Autumn looked fed up.

"Okay, wise ass. Make you a bet." she grinned and several of the onlookers started pulling out their wallets ready to bet on Autumn's bet. "I bet that I can hit the center twelve times in a row."

"Autumn, you're obviously having an off day don't embarrass yourself." Marc said handing over the gun.

"No, no. I don't have off days. I win you tell me how to find Will, you win…?" Marc eyed her suspicious.

"You don't hit twelve dead center, you tell me what you're hunting." he held out his hand and Autumn shook it. The crowd around burst into a frenzied of bets. Autumn waited for the betting to end before she started firing. Sam wasn't sure anyone breathed while she took her time shooting. To prolong the agony of waiting she manually reeled in the target and inspected it herself first. Marc greedily took the offered target and his face quickly fell.

"You're not supposed to gamble, it's bad." Autumn smirked. The men who had gathered dispersed after that, money ex-changing hands and offers for beer being made.

"I… How'd you do that?" Marc questioned. Jen rolled up in her wheel chair and claimed the target. She looked at it approvingly.

"Little brother, she had been shooting since you were in diapers, she's been playing men as long as I can remember." Jen grinned. "You've seen her do the same thing with pool, and drinking contest back in the bar, why should she play by different rules out here?"

"Because it's me." Marc thumped himself in the chest. "She's not supposed to cheat friends." Autumn hung an arm over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I cheat you because I love you." she pressed her cheek to his. "Now, little buddy, why don't you make good on your bet and tell me how to find Willy?" Marc sighed and looked the group over.

"He comes in ever full moon. He restocks, checks the books, makes sure no one is giving Jen a hard time of it. He'll wander around for a few hours get caught up on all the gossip and leave before day break." Marc licked his lips and looked Autumn in the eye. "He don't tell me where he's been or where he's going. You'll just have to wait until the moon is full again."

"That's going to be another month!" Athena exclaimed. "You have to have a better idea of where he is."

"Nope. He don't tell me as much as he used to. But I know he'll kill me for telling you as much as I've told you." Marc matched Athena glare and soon the girl backed down.

"Fine." she sighed. "So now what do we do? Are we seriously going to wait a month?"

Sam followed Athena to through the main cabin. The last time they'd been at the Resort he hadn't spent much time anywhere but the library and the bar. Under her arm was tucked a large yellow envelope and she was shuffling through her mail. She'd explained that she and her sister used the resort as a place of residency, since they also owned property there, and were more likely to be there than at the farm Billy-Jack had been renting since he'd married Martha. After Marc had killed all hope of talking to Will, until the following full moon, the foursome had decided they'd do just as they'd done while Autumn was re-cooping. They'd use the resort as home base and hunt with in a two or three day's drive, always returning between hunts.

Autumn and Dean had elected to stay at the cabin. Autumn to get a jumpstart on dinner. Dean claimed there was nothing better to do. Same wondered if either knew he'd seen them that morning. He wasn't sure he'd tell Athena he'd seen their siblings playing tonsil hockey, she'd just get all excited anyway.

"Look at this." she handed him one of her letters. "It's a letter from this hunter, Jimmy or something, he's been dead three years now and I just now get his letter. I'm in here at least every six months." Sam laughed looking at the post mark. Jimmy or something had indeed sent the letter over three years ago, but until recently it hadn't made it through the local post office.

"That's the US Postal for you." Athena shook her head and dropped the junk mail in a garbage can as they passed.

"They wonder why people complain so much. The man has been dead three years and I'm just getting his letter. Who knows what the letters about any more."

"You could always open it and find out." he suggested handing back the letter. She tucked the rest of the envelopes inside her coat before zipping it up.

"Eh, he's been dead three years. It's not going kill anyone to wait until we get back to the cabin and find out what this is." She waved Autumn's yellow envelope in his face.

"Autumn, you've got mail!" Athena called as they entered their warm cabin. Dean was on the floor trying to convince John to sit or roll over, or follow any of the commands for him that the dog followed for the girls. Autumn was in the kitchen cursing at the burners.

"What is it?" she yelled back. Athena and Sam shrugged off coats, tucking hats and gloves in the pockets and hanging them up before peeling off boots.

"How should I know?" Athena answered her sister who had come out to the main room. The sisters met half way and the envelope exchanged hands.

"I doesn't have a post mark or a name except mine on here." Autumn said flipping the package over in her hands looking for some way of telling who it was from. She finally broke the seal and undid the prongs holding it shut. She poured the contents into her hand, there was a manila folder and a letter within. She dropped the folder on the coffee table and slumped down in one of the arm chairs.

_"My dear Autumn,_

_ I know you'd probably like to burn this more than read it but just hear me out. I never once meant to hurt you and Athena. Athena was my world and when I left Sage's it was to protect both of you. I was, and continue to be hunted by that which I was hunting just before I was injured. The folder in here is the case information. I need your help._

_You and Athena are the only people I'd trust with this case. People have been coming up missing in each town I go through, except the first two. The first I know it's because the creature had devoured my father and uncle. I can only assume it was still too full to claim another victim in the next town. I've done research and it has taken be the past two years to find a way to kill it. _

_I never wanted any harm to come to either of you, and I know I owe Athena a lot. But the way this thing hunts, it would have taken me down and then gone for you two. After that the hunter you were closest too. I know when scared you both tend to run toward John Winchester. I couldn't bare the thought that I'd be the death of the love of my life, her sister, and John Winchester. Who knows how many more after that. But I knew I could keep you all safe a while longer if I ran. I know this is no excuse to you. But had I told you can you honestly say you wouldn't have followed? See, I had to go. I had to move on alone and protect you. Neither of you were ready for this guy._

_I've heard you're now traveling, with John's permission, with Sam and Dean Winchester. You're moving up in the world! You've obviously come a long way if John trust you with his sons. I was worried sick when I heard you'd been caught in a fire. You know I named you Plays With Fire because you're always getting into trouble and playing with the odds, not because you should actually play with fire. _

_It's getting early and I need to get out of here before anyone wakes up and sees me. Look over the case. If you decide to take it, I'll be in South Dakota, you know what bar and when. I'll be here for a week or two before I move on. I'll watch for you._

_Until the sun no longer shines, I am yours,_

_Will Raining" _ Autumn read the letter out loud. Sam and Dean didn't understand most of what Will was talking about but it was clear from the look on their companions faces that they did. "What do you think?" Autumn asked looking at her sister.

"We have to talk to him anyway. Let's see what he's got."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Huge thanks to my reviewers! You guys seriously keep me going! I wrote this through a killer ear ache... I'm really starting to get irratated with these things. -tear- but you guys made me keep writing -tear- Anywho my new word is awkward. It will continue to show up as frequently as possible whether I will it into place or not. Okay so I'm boring you read on my dears and don't forget to check out my co-writing in Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing written primarily by the ever talented and my dearest reviewer Posinchik88. Peace!**

**Chapter Four**

_Hell's Bar, London, South Dakota, January 9th, 2007_

Athena took a breath to steady herself, his beat up old El Comino was in the parking lot. It's rust red paint job was chipped, and the tail lights had recently been shot out and replaced with red duct tape. The other members of her group were going over the case file in the Impala, she'd stepped out into the cold night air. Her chest tighten when she'd recognized Will's car, and breathing had been difficult. Sam was the first out of the car Autumn and Dean hesitated still talking in the front seat.

"You okay?" Sam asked meeting her under the neon Bud Light sign.

"I will be." she smiled. What the spirit had said in Kelsey, Virginia, kept going through her head. Was she really still in love with Will Raining?

"Autumn said she'll handle him alone if you aren't comfortable." Sam reminded her.

"I know, but I might as well deal with him now." There was so much more she wanted to add to this but the way he was nodding, understanding her problem she didn't want to push it.

"Dean and I'll be at the bar if you two need us, okay?" Sam smiled reassuringly as Autumn and Dean walked up. Athena tried to remember the pair ever walking so close before but gave up the attempt when her sister draped an arm over her shoulder.

"Let's go give this ass a piece or our mind." Autumn tugged Athena closer to her in an one armed hug. Dean handed Athena the file Will had sent Autumn before he and Sam went into the bar. Autumn insisted on waiting a few minutes before they went in. "Remember to show him what he's missed out on." she released her sister's shoulder and inched up Athena's skirt. "You've got legs use them."

"Autumn!" Athena whined. Autumn laughed and led the way inside.

Will was sitting in the corner three drinks sat on the table in front of him. Autumn pretended to scan the bar, letting Athena take him in. He was just under six foot tall, long black silk hair that was nearly always pulled back in a braid, dark eyes that seemed to know so much more than possible for them to know. Athena grabbed for Autumn's arm and her sister gave her hand a gentle squeeze before shaking her off and starting toward Will's table.

"There's my demons." he smiled standing up. Autumn allowed him to hug her but when he touched Athena she went stiff. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

"I know." Athena sat down and Autumn followed suit. Will's eyes lingered over Athena's long legs when she crossed them. "These for us or are there others here?" her voice was cold, void of all emotion. Athena saw the concern in her sister but brushed it off, she had to keep all her attention on not throwing this glass in his face.

"No, they're yours. Two Shirley Temples, right?" his smile belonged in a corny commercial where they add a twinkle.

"Yes, thank you." Autumn nodded. She had had a policy about drinking and working.

"I'm glad you decided to hunt with me, again." Will never looked away from Athena who wanted to shrink within herself but was forcing herself to there and not show how much he'd hurt her.

"We've not come to hunt. Autumn and I were looking for you, this was just convenient." she smirked at his shock. "We need a look at your books."

"Why? What are you after?" he leaned back in his chair.

"That's not your business, now is it?" Athena re-crossed her legs and teased the straw of her drink.

"My books, my business." Will managed.

"It's a demon. The one that burned Autumn." Athena challenged him leaning forward toward him shedding her coat, counting on him being distracted by the low cut of her top.

"You were at the Resort there's a million different ways to kill a demon in that library." Athena felt like such meat as he goggled her.

"We don't just want this son of a bitch dead. We want him obliterated." she ducked down to catch his eyes with her face. "That's in your book."

"John knows ways, why didn't you just talk to him? He's been after a demon his entire hunting career." Will reminded them.

"I don't know if you've noticed but John isn't exactly returning people's phone calls." Athena matched his tone.

"Autumn has that man wrapped so tight around his finger I'm surprised he can breath. He'll answer your calls." Will sounded so high and mighty, Athena wanted to bring him crashing to the ground.

"People said the same thing about you and me. But we both know what happened there."

"Athena, I explained that in my letter," he looked to Autumn. "Didn't you show it to her?"

"Oh, I know what you said. But, Willy, I'm a big girl. It's not your place to protect me. I can do it on my own just fine. Now, are you going to let us see the books or was this trip a waste of our time?"

"You're not going to help me?" he asked dumbfounded.

"No." Athena answered simply. _Wring your neck maybe, but not help you_ she thought.

"Then I'm sorry, I guess this was a waste of your time." Athena stood up and grabbed her coat.

"I think I see someone I know." she stalked off.

"Not going to follow her?" he asked turning his attention to Autumn.

"In a second," she took a swallow of her drink and popped the cherry, that was floating in it, in her mouth. "You hurt her."

"I know, and there isn't a day that I don't regret it. But Autumn, I thought, if anyone, you'd understand my reasons. She's special. I," he looked after Athena who was making a show of snuggling up to Sam. "I hate myself for it."

"The demon," Autumn too watched Sam wrapping an arm around Athena's waist as she giggled at something Dean said. "He killed my best friend, and her son. He took away three little girls' mother, their only protector from an abusive father. Can you imagine the pain he's invoked on those girls?" she was going to drag him along. "Can you hear their screams when he stumbles in drunk and sets in on him? I can't fathom the things he's doing to them." Will stopped watching Athena his attention was all on Autumn's words now. "Or maybe I can, he used to do those things to me. I can remember every blow, every broken bone, every time I hit my head and woke up hours after the fact in a pool of my own blood. Those poor girls. I at least was old enough to know what was going on. They're just children."

"Won't the state step in?" he asked.

"I get custody of them, once I get rid of this demon that is." she paused a moment, he had a lot to chew on. "Every day I have to be out here hunting is another day those poor little girls have to spend in terror. Kendra, she's a little artist, one day she'll rock the art world. Kelly is bound to drive the boys wild when she gets to high school Then, there's shy quiet little Kayla. You know what they say about the quiet ones." Autumn shook her head.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Will asked causing Autumn to laugh bitterly.

"I want to see your books, I want you to help me find away to kill this thing." he looked over at Athena now sitting in Sam's lap then back to Autumn.

"I'll help you if you help me."

"Okay, let me go talk to her."

_At Sam and Dean's table_

"We help him he helps us." Autumn reported her voice quivered.

"You okay, Sis?" Athena asked her eyes darting to Will who was watching their group intently.

"Yea, I had to go to a bad place for a moment." she smiled and steadied her voice. "So, we up for a lethifold?"

"If it's going to get us a way to eliminate our demon." Sam said agreeing to the deal. Dean was watching Autumn, she wasn't okay and he was sure of it.

"Then you two might as well meet our new business partner." Athena said removing herself from Sam and starting for Will. Sam hesitated a moment to move forward with the rest of the group.

"Go on, I want to have a word with Autumn." Dean dismissed his brother. As soon as Sam was on his way he pulled her to him. "You okay?"

"Dean, I'm fine." she smiled again trying to look normal.

"What'd you say to him?" Dean pressed.

"I just told him about Martha and Nick dying, and the girls being left with Billy-Jack." she shrugged. "I guess I dug up some stuff I thought I had buried too deep to ever find." Dean tucked her head under his chin and kissed her hair.

"You can just forget all of that, because he's never going to touch you again." Autumn smiled and pulled away.

"I just wanted to get the books and forget the hunt." Dean playfully shoved her in the direction of Will's table.

"We never forget a hunt, Autty."

Will cocked a brow questioningly at Autumn when she walked up, Dean right behind her. Sam and Athena sat side by side, Sam trying to point out all the flaws in Will's case. After a long while and several beers they exchanged numbers and agreed to meet to further develop their plans. Thus far they'd decided to use Will as bait to draw the creature out, though, he admittedly didn't know how to kill the shadow shroud. It could be any number of ways and none of them were going to be easy with the living cloak trying to strangle anyone it came in contact with.

"I know how to do it." Autumn smirked sliding into a chair next to Dean.

"And that would be?" Will prodded.

The five of them were in Will's motel room, the single table in the room had been pulled into the center an anything resembling a chair had been brought around it. Sam, Will, and Dean had been sitting at the table pouring over their family journals for any mention on a way to kill the creature. Athena paced the room aimlessly, and Autumn, John at her heels, balanced one of Will's journals over her arm as she moved from foot to foot.

"That would be easier said than done. We have to trap the shadow shroud with in a ring of salt with it's prey," she read from the text. "The prey then, must shred the shadow shroud, and burn it. Mix the ashes with salt and scatter the remains."

"You're right Autty, way easier said than done." Will agreed.

"How easily does it move?" Sam asked already working through the details of the fight in his head.

"Did you ever see Peter Pan? The Disney cartoon version?" Will asked him.

"Once." Dean said.

"At the beginning when Peter comes for his shadow, and has to chase it around Wendy's room, that's how well this thing moves. It knows few boundaries." Will explained.

"That sounds like fun." Athena remarked coming to lean over the table between Sam and Will. "The salt has the same effect on the sassy blanket as it does on a spirit?"

"I guess I don't know." Autumn scanned the page. "I can't make out all of the words here, but it looks like a shadow shroud is created when a person dies a violent death in a garment. At some point the garment is torn down and remade into a cloak or cape. That's when the violence in stowed in it becomes problematic."

"Why would someone reuse the clothes of a murder vic?" Athena asked no one impractical.

"In historical times it was done because nothing could be wasted." Sam answered her.

"Alright, college boy, what about now?" Dean questioned not comfortable with the idea of wearing a dead guy's clothes.

"Clothes could have ended up at a Good Will or something." Sam tried to back out of the conversation.

"The clothes end up a the Good Will a mother buys them makes her kid a Harry Potter costume for Halloween and saves a lot of money." Autumn nodded agreeing with the thought.

"I hate Halloween." Will moaned drooping over his books.

"Finally something we all agree on." Athena muttered into the silence that consumed the room. John nudged Autumn's hand and looked toward the door.

"So when do we want to give this a shot?" Autumn asked the men she sat with, trying to ignore the dog's urge.

"Take John out we'll get the time and date figured out, Fire." Autumn glared at will point a finger in his face. He laughed at her. "Get that out of my face! I don't know where it's been." John darted across the room and grabbed hold of his master's coat. When Autumn and John were out the door Will suddenly realized how few friends he had in this room. A girl he'd hurt and two men had no known good feelings toward him.

"It hunts at night?" Athena asked claiming her sister's seat.

"Yea from what I've seen, it hunts right at dusk." Will informed her.

"Then that's when we go." she stated the obvious.

"Has it gotten anyone yet?"

"No, it won't nab anyone until I'm on my way out." Will told Dean.

"The sooner the better, do you know where it is now?" Sam looked away from the book, he'd continued to read.

"No, but it won't be hard to find. The shadow shroud hunts me, so it'll be around me." Will answered Sam. Athena wiped a hand over her face and yawned.

"Tomorrow night, then?" she asked. Dusk had fallen long ago, they'd met up shortly after lunch to start their research.

"Yea, I guess." Will agreed. Sam and Dean shifted in their seats but made no attempt to disagree with the plan.

"Sam why don't we go warm up the car?" Dean asked shutting his father's journal. Sam looked perplexed, and Dean rolled his eyes before dragging his brother out the door.

"They're subtle." Will smiled at Athena as she glared at the door.

"Yea, usually." she was quiet a moment. "Why'd you really leave?" Will turned her chair around to face him and he reached for her hands but she pulled away. A smile slipped onto his face when he saw the charm bracelet on her wrist. He'd never forget that purchase.

"Because I'd bought a ring. I didn't want to spend every day as just your boyfriend. I was sick of the three of us playing games and just making it by, going from hunt to hunt. But then I'm laying there at Sage's staring at the ceiling waiting to either die or hear your voice and I see it. I see the damn thing in the corner creeping toward me, completely skipped over Sage and was coming straight at me." Athena had definitely changed in the two years they'd been apart, used to she'd be staring at her lap right now but instead she held eye contact. "Athena," he wanted to drudge up some old nick name but couldn't manage it. "I realized then that this sorry bastard wasn't going to stop until I was dead. It had latched on to me and would hunt me until one of us was dead."

"You bought a ring?" she whispered.

"Yea, you were everything to me. You are everything to me."

"So you just leave everything?" her gaze didn't waiver she was loving this.

"The way it hooked on me," he shook his head. "It wasn't right. It got my father because he was connected to my uncle, he was there right after my uncle died. Then I was there when my dad went down. Ath you showed up when it was killing me. If I stuck around and it got me it would get you next."

"You shouldn't have left Sage's though." she argued.

"I stay at Sage's and it gets me, Sage thinks I ran off then it hangs out until it's hungry again gets her. By that point you're back and it gets you too." he explained. "Athena I couldn't spend my dying breaths know I killed you."

"But you wanted me to spend the last two years wishing I'd been killed?"

"Hurting is better than being dead."

"So now you just want me to hunt at your side and play like none of this ever happened?" she asked pushing back and standing up. He saw her eyes dart toward the door.

"No, I know we have stuff to work out. But I want you to help me kill this thing and stick long enough to work it out." Will stayed seated denying everything that told him to stand up and take her in his arms. She wasn't ready for that, she was lost.

"I can't do that." Athena said finger tips brushing Sam's carhart jacket, that he'd left behind when Dean drug him out.

"Sam?" Will asked afraid of the answer.

"Hey, Midget we ready to roll?" Autumn called popping her head in the door. She stood awkwardly just inside for a moment while Athena pulled on her coat and slung Sam's over her arm.

"Yea." Athena smiled at her sister, thanking her. "Later, Willy." She was still confused but at least now she forgave him, otherwise she'd never have reverted to the old name.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:Yes I know it's short, sorry. I want to get to Athena and Will working things out and everyone deciding on what's to come in in the next chapter soooo R&R.**

**Chapter Five**

"Do you think it's possible for a spirit to know stuff about you with out you knowing it about you?" Athena mused sitting on the hood of the Impala while Dean tinkered under the hood of the mustang. He'd taken it for a fill up that morning and swore it was making a noise.

"They read your mind sometimes." he answered her without pulling out from within the twisted pipes and hoses and parts she'd never learn the names of.

"I know. But is that only what your conscious of or could it be what you haven't realized yet?" she saw his shoulder twitch in a shrug and sighed. "I should talk to Autty about this not you, right?"

"It'd be nice." he teased.

"Okay, then in pick-ups which is better Ford or Dodge?"

"What do you know about either?" he asked coming out to grab different wrench.

"I know my dad would only buy Ford. Ford trucks, tractors, and women."

"Women?" Athena zipped her coat up to her chin and nodded.

"Yea, my mom's maiden name was Ford. No relation to the dude who founded the Ford company or whatever, but Ford is Ford." she passed on her father's wisdom.

"So you're a Ford Demon?" he chuckled at his own lame joke.

"I suppose."

"Oh come on, Teenie!" she rolled her eyes and didn't answer him. "So what'd you and Romeo talk about last night?"

"Autumn said she'd be back by now right? I'm gonna go call and see what's taking so long." She slid off the sleek black hood and headed inside followed by Dean's laughter.

Autumn's cell went straight to voice mail and despite the gut wrenching fear that something had happened to her sister Athena decided the older girl was probably just on the phone with someone, and sat on the bed to channel surf. Nothing on, not that she expected much from day time television. You went from soap opera to soap opera to infomercials about house hold cleaners. After a couple of trips around the TV Athena picked up her phone to give Autumn another shot.

"Are you bleeding or dying?" Autumn asked sounding a little agitated.

"No?"

"John, slow down!" Autumn sighed. "I swear this dog is trying to kill me. What'd you need, Teenie?"

"Just calling to check on you." Athena said honestly.

"I'm fine. So you were who beeped through a minute ago?"

"Yea, who were you talking to?"

"Kendra, she's worried about Kayla. Kay is having nightmares. Then Kendra spent fifteen whole minutes complaining about Kelly."

"I didn't know she could keep her mind on anything that long." Athena joked.

"Me either. I'll be back in a minute I'm on the corner."

"Alrighty."

Athena closed her phone and tucked it back in her pocket, suddenly wishing she'd gone in the boys room instead. Hers was too quiet, at least Sam would offer some sort of conversation. He'd spent the whole day and a good chunk of last night looking more information up on the shadow shroud. She'd been in his room for a little while earlier, while they all conferred about what they'd be doing that day. It wasn't a rule, but since the werewolf hunt they had all started drifting together first thing in the morning and making sure the other members of their party knew where they'd be. While they'd consulted that morning Sam had sat on his laptop clicking away through site after site looking for any drop of useful information.

London, South Dakota, had two motels, despite its small size. They were on opposite ends of the town and run by completely different people. Sam and Dean put cameras up in Will's room and wired them into a TV in the room next door. Athena watched the set and told the brothers where to move the cameras while Autumn went over the plan one last time with Will. Autumn had a very time-is-of-the-essence take on this hunt. Normally she liked to hang out and take her time, unless kids are involved. She made no attempt to hide the fact that she was just doing this to get a shot at the journals. The sun had just disappeared below the horizon when Sam and Dean joined Athena. Autumn and Will exchanged words in the doorway before she too came in to watch Will TV. Time seemed to tick by slowly. Will had put a ring of salt around his bed the night before which half of it had been swept up. That's where they planned to catch the monster at. Should he appear tonight Will was to lure it to the bed. So he sat playing solitaire on his bed for a long while.

"Did you see that?" Sam asked pointing to the corner of the screen. The corner was engulfed in shadows it was difficult to see anything.

"What am I looking at?" Dean asked his brother.

"The shadow moved." Will's attention was drawn to the corner he quickly made a show of looking back at his game.

"It's in there." Autumn confirmed.

"So when do we go in there?" Athena asked knowing what the answer would be.

"As soon as Will's getting the life strangled out of him." Autumn reminded her.

Sam let his arm brush against Athena's in an almost comforting way. It was good to know she had someone on her side. The shadow edged across the room sliding on the floor and gliding over the bedside stand. Will pretended not to notice the shroud as it crept over the tangle of sheets and blankets then up his back. Sam and Dean were already tensed up ready to move out and get the show on the road. Autumn held an hand on Dean's knee keeping him seated until the shadow shroud was in too deep to pull out. Athena watched fixated on the struggle that began in the room next door. When Will threw himself back on the bed, eyes bulging slightly, the four hunters jumped into action.

Dean shoved through the door and Athena slipped past him already with the salt to close off the circle. But the rest was up to Will. He managed to get on top of the shroud and with a triumphant laugh grabbed for the scissors Sam offered him. The cloth bucked and twisted trying to free itself as Will made to shred it. Athena wasn't sure when she'd backed into her sister but found Autumn's arm wrapped protectively around her. She knew the moment the shroud broke free Autumn would shove her out the nearest exit. The sound of fabric ripping and tearing sent chills down Athena's spine. The younger Daemon had to fight off the memory of the last time she'd seen the shroud.

How ten minutes can stretch to an eternity was beyond her understanding. But ten minutes is all the longer it took Will to disassemble the shadow shroud. Autumn handed him a mason jar almost quarter of the way full of salt. He jammed in the strips of cloth and she shook the contents up mixing them before tucking lighter fluid under her arm and going outside. Dean followed her knowing what the older Daemon was going to do and not wanting her to blow her arm off.

"If it was that easy why didn't my dad manage it?" Will asked prying the scissors out of his hand. His fingers seemed to have locked in place.

"Because he didn't know." was all Athena could offer as an explanation. Will smirked and shook his head.

"You mean he didn't have Autumn to decipher his granddad's scribbles?" Athena tossed her head.

"Whatever floats your boat." There was a bang out behind the motel and the sound of Dean cursing quickly followed causing the three remaining hunters to laugh.

"I guess the ashes are scattered." Sam grinned.

"Sounds that way." Will agreed. "I don't know what's wrong with that girl that she can't do anything with out a few fireworks."

"Oi! That's my sister!" Athena said giving indignity a shot but her giggle blew it.

"Come on," Will rolled off his bed straightening his shirt and righting his collar. "Better go make sure she didn't blow up a dumpster or anything."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Sam turned up his longneck and Autumn tried to ignore Will's jokes. She was busy writing down, word for word, the different ways to destroy a demon. Athena occasionally looked over her sister's shoulder and was surprised at the possibilities Autumn was considering. One solution actually included the sacrifice of a virgin. Dean leaned over the table towards Will and implored for more details.

"It had to have been, what the second hunt after Lena's pack?" Will cast Athena a smile questioning her.

"I guess." she shrugged and grabbed her own beer.

"Right. Well, this guy, who we think is going to be the spirits next victim, is totally checking Athena out. Autumn went over and flirted with him and he just blew her off. So we send little Miss Athena over, I didn't know she'd never done this sort of thing before. She was horrible!"

"Dude! I'm sitting right here." Athena protested.

"I know, babe, but that don't make it any less true." Will gave her pony tail a tug and laughed. "She's talking with this guy and he suggest they get a motel room. Athena spills her coffee in the guys lap and he spends the rest of the day in the ER."

"Autumn spit beer all over Dean when we met up." Athena tried to defend herself. Autumn looked up from her notes, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

"Bite me, Teenie Weenie."

"You taste bad." Athena said scrunching up her nose. Dean seemed to consider biting Autumn and finding out for himself.

"I can't believe you guys actually met up in a bar, without strings being pulled." Will marveled. "I mean with all the lengths Winchester went to, to keep ya'll separated when he was teaching you two." he shook his head. "That man never did make sense."

"No harm no foul." Dean dismissed the topic.

"So, Sammy, you went to Stanford?" Will asked turning toward Sam.

"It's Sam. Sammy is a chubby twelve year old." Sam glared at Will who seemed to be inching closer and closer to Athena.

"Whatever, Sam, you went to Stanford?"

"Yea," Sam paused staring at his empty beer bottle. "A life time ago."

"Know the feeling. You going back? After all this is done of course." Sam shrugged.

"I don't know." Dean glanced at his brother. "What about you, what are you doing now that you're free?"

"First I have to get things square with my sister. After that though," he shrugged. "It's anyone's guess."

"You'll hunt." Autumn said without looking away from her work. "We all hunt. Can't stop, it's a bad addiction with no twelve step program."

"Hunter's Anonyms?" Sam mused. "There's a new program for Jen to run."

"You can't believe that there's no quitting. You said you're done after the demon." Dean interjected. Autumn turned on him a pointed glare.

"What?" the other three all asked in sync.

"Autty, you're a natural. You were born for this you can't just stop." Will argued.

"What about me, I don't want to stop?" Athena asked.

"It's something I'm thinking about and Athena you don't need me. You're a big girl you can do whatever you want on your own." Autumn kept her eyes locked on Dean's, "but you sir, I thought we agreed that was between the two of us." Dean kept up his end of the stare down but didn't say a word.

"Alrighty, then." Will broke the tension. "Why don't I go get us another round?" Autumn shook her head.

"I'll get it." Something passed between Autumn and Dean and both left the table after another round.

"They always like that?" Will asked watching the older members of their party.

"It's a long story." Sam informed him.

"Well, we're celebrating tonight. No room for serious long stories." Athena grinned.

"Exactly! So where are you guys headed after here?"

"That all depends on what Autumn finds in your ancestors journals and what Dad wants us to do. But most likely head back for the Resort, at least for a little while." Sam said eyeing Will. He couldn't put a finger on it just yet but Will was bad news and he didn't want him anywhere near Athena.

"You know what, this is a serious topic it too." Athena shifted in her chair leaning away from Will.

"What are you doing, still having the dog around?" Will asked.

"He's a good dog and better company." Athena shrugged.

"I'll never forget the day you got him." Will chuckled. "They tell you about that Samster?" Sam gave a helpless sigh, this guy could take a hint.

"The name is Sam." Athena corrected.

"Right. Anyway, Autumn had been all bent out of shape because Teenie and I were always together on our down time and she knew no one so Athena gets the great idea that a dog is what her sister needs. We went to a dozen pet stores, must have seen a million puppies. Labs, retrievers, collies, some shepherds and mix breeds," Will shook his head. "We finally end up going back to the first store and getting a rottweiller. The loudest, rowdiest, most misbehaved pup in the lot and the clerk can't say enough to talk us out of buy the dog. 'Rotts are dangerous dogs' he kept telling Teen and finally she hands him the money with a shrug 'I'm dangerous too.' and walks out." Will laughed and Sam and Athena humored him with a few snickers.

"What all is Aut writing down?" Sam asked turning the note book to himself and looking over the list. "Sacrifices, rituals," he read. "This stuff looks darker than some of the things we hunt."

"Yea," Will shrugged. "You don't want this thing going to Hell, you want to destroy it completely, that's a wee bit dark."

"But this isn't sacrificing a lamb to appease the god of war these are people." Will took the note book from Sam.

"Not this one," he stabbed the entry Autumn had been writing with his finger. "This one is just getting possessed and using your soul to over ride and obliterate the demon."

"Yes, and soulless people are going to be around for a real long time." Athena rolled her eyes taking Sam's side. "I think that's the one Jen told Autumn about the night of the fire."

"Jenny'd know about this sort of thing," Will dropped the book back where Autumn had left it. "She was always into stuff like this growing up. Dad used to swear she was a little demented."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"You mean her legs? I don't know for sure. I'd gone off to college, I wasn't going to waste my life fighting thing no one believed in." Will took a final swig of his beer. "I get this phone call from my uncle saying that Jen had been hunting and been shoved down an elevator shaft. She was out for a couple of days and when she came too she was paralyzed from the neck down. Took almost two years but slowly she regained control of her upper half but doctors were surprised by that. She'll never walk again, I'm just shocked she didn't decide to end things. Hunting was all she ever wanted to do. Dad always told us hunting was a guy thing, not for girls. But you try growing up with Hunters passing through your house constantly and not learn a thing or two." he looked around the bar for the older two hunters.

"Where are they with those drinks?" Athena asked scanning the room herself.

"Backroom or supply closet." Will smirked provocatively.

"You're joking!" Athena swatted his arm. Sam chuckled a little at the thought, he wouldn't put it past his brother. "You two can't be serious."

"Teenie, are you saying you haven't noticed the looks and just the way they've been acting? Hell that little stare down they just had here was obvious." Will joined Sam's laugh.

"They're just…. Autumn wouldn't…" she stammered but every time she tried to finish a sentence she thought of Lena's, then the way they'd been after that. It wasn't entirely impossible.

"You know I mean this with the utmost respect: you're slooooow." Will teased.

"Oh Zip it Ass." Athena slugged him before getting up to find her sister.

"Do you really want to find them if that's what they're doing?" Will asked watching her move to start her search.

"No." she said slowly and sat back down on her barstool.

They fell into more uncomfortable conversation and, though it took a good twenty minutes longer than it should have, Autumn and Dean returned. All three of the abandoned hunters surveyed the returning, no disheveled hair or inside out shirts, not even smeared lipstick. Sam, Athena, and Will exchanged looks and cracked up. It had been a long day, so when they finished their fresh round the five hunters returned to their motel rooms.

Will was waiting in the parking lot the next morning when Autumn took John out for a walk. Autumn ducked her head in the Daemon's room and called her sister out. Dean and Sam were still dawdling in their room.

"We talk?" Will asked when the blond emerged.

"Yea, come in. It's cold out here." she shivered and led Will inside. She sat down on her bed and gestured for him to join her. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"Athena, you know what I want to talk about."

"Do you remember our first kiss?" Will nodded.

"Yea, why?"

"I was pissed at you because I walked in on you with Autumn. I had no claim to you and you were just helping her out of a tight spot when she was doing too well playing poker. It had rained three days straight and when I ran back outside I slid in the mud and crashed against the cabin across the way."

"And I chased after you and we both ended up in a heap, soaked, and covered in mud." Will grinned.

"Yea, and I'd busted my nose. So you leaned in talking real soft about how you were going to make it better." She leaned in talking just as soft as he had. "Do you remember what you said just before?"

"No." Will blinked.

"You said 'Let me try something.' Then you," she kissed him. It was a quick, strangled kiss with no sparks. When she pulled away he sighed.

"Nothing?" he asked watching her carefully.

"If you still have that ring, pawn it and get a paint job for that rust machine of yours." she nodded as if this ended the subject forever.

"When I get back home, I'll see about Marc and I going off for a while." he said standing up. "That way we don't have to…" he trailed off and she laughed.

"So we don't have to be awkward right off the bat?" when he nodded she shook her head still laughing. "After everything, I think awkward is a lot better than the past two years." Will wrapped her in a short embrace.

"Take care, Blondie." he whispered in her ear before leaving her there. Will Raining climbed into his old beat up El Comino and drove off, finally with the destination of home. When Autumn and her hound returned they'd be heading out too. Athena sighed and dropped back in her bed.

"If I ever figure men out I swear the world will end and hell will freeze over."

**A/N: Amen Athena... Any who this is the end of Next Time. I know it was mostly just Athena dealing with an old flame and we didn't concentrate much on the hunting stuff. But Vegas is up next so warmer weather and more hunting is just a few days away. In the mean time go read Posinchik88's Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and it's companion Girls Guide to Dating and Loving a Winchester and if you've already read those but haven't checked out Boogeyman, Race to Kill, Burning Family, From the Ashes, or Werewolf Territory (my other SN fics) please go read those. I'm off to start the next fic and as soon as I have a title it'll be up. Love and ApperciationSarah the mutant farm girl**


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